Amusement aerial railway.



R. BEHRENS.

AMUSEMENT AERIAL RA|LWAY..

APPLICATION FILED NOV-28.19l7.

Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

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AMUSEMENT AEFHAL RAILWAY- APPLICQTION FILED'NOV an. 1911.

l ,3Q0,555. Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

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AMUSEMENT AERIAL RAILWAY.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUDoLr BEHRENS, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of- New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Amusement Aerial Railways; and I do hereby declare the fol lowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart'to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to amusement rail ways of the aerial type, and the primary object of the invention is to provide a car structure, for travel over an aerial track which is constructed of a cable supported by suitable type of supports for imitating the riding in a dirigible balloon- More specifically, the object of this inventionis to provide a car structure for use upon an aerial cable railway, which includes a supporting structure having a car pivotally carried thereby, which car travels beneath the cable or track of the railway and has a balloon or bag connected thereto and positioned above the railway.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for rocking the car which carries the passengers during the travel of the car over the railway which means includes a crank shaft and a plurality of sprockets which are carried by the bag or balloon of the car structure and an arm which is connected to the crank of the crank shaft and to the car for rocking the car dur-' ing the rotation of the crank shaft.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, this invention consists in such novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters designate like and corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation ofthe improved car structure having parts thereof broken away. i

Fig. 2 is an end and Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section through the balloon showing the car rocking mechanism in edge elevation.

. Referring more particularly to the draw- View of the car'structure,

' Specification of Letters I atent.

ings, l designates the cable over which the car structure travels. The cable 1 is supported by suitable supporting structures as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, comprising a horizontal arm 2 having a bar 3 attached to the upper surface of the same and extending longitudinally of the cable short distances in each direction from the arm 2. The cross arm 2 is supported by a suitable standard 1 which is preferably constructed of angle iron or any analogous material and by varying the lengths of the various. supports the elevation of the cable 1 may be varied to impart thrills to the persons riding in the cars traveling thereover. The track over which the car travels may be of any shape desired so as to provide either a straight or sinuous route for the cars travv cling thereover, this track being of the well known spiral type so as to cause the car to travel by gravity from a higher to a lower level, suitable elevating means being provided for returning the car to its initial starting point. 1

The car structure comprises a frame 6 which is substantially stirrup shaped and carries a tonneau 7 which is .pivotally connected as shown at-8 to the bottom 9' of the stirruplike frame 6. The pivot 8 of the tonneau 7 is positioned intermediate of its ends so as to allow a rocking ofthe same during the travel of the car over the track. The frame 6 has a' shaft 10 supported thereby and extending rearwardly from the rear end of the same upon which shaft is mounted a propeller 11. The propeller 11 is mounted for free rotation on the shaft v10 so that it will be rotated by the air current generated by the travel of the car, for the purpose of adding realism to the travel of the'car and making it appear as if the car were being propelled by the propeller 11.

Brackets 12 are swivelly connected as shown at 13 at each end of the frame 6. to the upper surface of the frame and these brackets have upstanding arms 14 formed thereupon, which arms are connected to the longitudinal braces 15 which extend centrally through the balloon or bag 16 of the car structure. The balloon or-bag structure 16 is shaped like the gas bag of an ordinary dirigible balloon and it travels above the cable 1 as clearly shown in the drawings The brackets 12 have rollers 17 rotatably carried thereby, which rollers are provided with concaved peripheries for engaging and Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

Application filed November 28, 1917. Serial No. 204,377.

brackets 12 include pivoted-sections 1 9 which riding upon the cable 1. The sides 18 of the are provided so that when the car structure reaches one of the cross arms Qthe pivoted section will move upwardly to allow the car to pass the cross arm without interruption to its travel.

The roller 17 Which is carried by the rear bracket- 12 has a sprocket 20 attached thereto about which a sprocket chain 21 travels. The chain 21 also travels about a relatively large sprocket 22 which is mounted upon a shaft;23. The shaft 23 is rotatably .p'ositioned within the *bodyof the balloon 16 and it'is supported =by-thezarm 11=and a bracket structure 24. A relatively small sprocket 25 is also;mounted :upon the shaiit :23 and a sprocket chain 26 travels about this sprocket and about a large sprocket 2-7 lmounted upon ashaft 28. The shaft; 28 supported within the balloon :16 directly above the forward end oftheicarfstructure land it is rotated by therotation-of the rollers 17 carried at the rear end of the :carstructure through the mediumofthe sprocket chains 21 and 26 and the sprockets 22,"25"and 27.

The shah 28 has a crank arm =29 formed thereupon; upon-which is formeda iwristpin 30. :A lever 31 is pivotally connected :as shown at-E32 to a bracei33 and it is provided withria, a longitudina'lly extending slot 34 formed therein which rides upon the wrist p'in 30. A 'downwardlyxextending arm35 .is formed upon the a-rm 2311ai1d it has a weight formed :upon or attached toitslowerend. The arm 35 and the'weight 36- act as a coun ter'balance rpendululn "for the operation of the-bar31. Arod37 is connected=to the bar 31 and tovthe forward end of the tonneau 7 1 so "thatth movement :of the: arm 31 caused by the rotation 'of-thershaft128 will rock the tonneau '7 upon its pivot=8 for -further adding' to the-thrills of the :"person riding in :the tonneau.

The tonneau 7 Im'aybe-constructed on any desired or practical .plan having seats 40 p0- sitioned therein for holding the pleasure seekers riding within the car.

From the foregoing description taken vain connection with the accompanying drawingsthe advantages of construction land the method of opration of the improved amusement aerial; railway will be readily' apparent to tho'se 'skilledinth'e'art to which-this rinvention-appertains and, 'while 5111 the foregoingdes'cription', thelprinciple of the operation of {this invention has been; described together with various features of construction, it is to be understood that certain :mi'nor features of construction, combination and arrangement ofpartsmay be'altered to is'uit practical 'conditio-ns provided such alterations are comprehended *within thescopeof what "isclaimed.

What is claimed is i- V 1. 1 11 a "-pleasureaerial railway, the combination with a cable forming a track, of a'car'structureincluding a supporting frame work, a tonneau pivotally carried by said frame work and positioned beneath-said cable, aballooncarried by said frame work and positioned above said cable, means for rocking said tonneau during the travelof the car structure, and rollers carried by said frame workrand engaging said cable.

2. In a pleasure aerial railway, ithe combination with a cable forming a track, of -a car structure for travel over said traokaineluding-a frame work, a 'tonneau;pivota;lly carried by said frame work,:- a balloon carried by said frame work,;a plurality -.of;,guiding rollers carried by-said frame work and engaging said cable, and means actuated by the rotation of one ofssaid guiding rollers for rocln'ng said tonneau: during-thentravel of saidioa'r. V

In a-,-pleasure aeriaL-railway, the roombination with a 'cableiforming la -traok,- oif-%a car structure for-- travel over said-track eluding a framework, a'j-ton'n'eau; pivotal'ly;

carried by the lower portion of saidz-frame WOI'k,=2L balloon'carried byQthenpper portion of saidframe work andapositioned :above said cable, rollers rcarried by :said .dirame work a and engaging said :eable 'forgguidirrg thetravel of said carstrueture,aipivotediarm positioned 'within-esaid bliHOOIlflIIlflJlS oper:

ated by the operation ofonewodfrsaidzguidin rollers 1Eor rocking said-: pivotedfarm, an means connecting-said arm at11d{ Sa 1d -13OI1-' neau for rocking the-tonneaudu'ringwthe rocking movement-of said 'arm.

4. in :a pleasure aerial= railway, the-loombination with a 5 cable forming a -tra;ek,-. of a car structure for travelv over-said .tr'aok including a frameiworlnza tonneau-pivotally married by the lower p tuition of said irameawork, a balloon carried by theauppersportion oft-said frame work and positioned aboveisaid-table, rollers ecar-ried by said frame-==work rand'engaging said cable for.;=guiding the, travel iof said car structure," apivoted arm. positioned within said rball'oon, meansi operated byn'iithe operation rof onebfasaidrguiding rbllersfior ro'cking'rsaid pivoted army andam'eans wconnecting SaldfillTmifind'Said1130111162111 lfor roeking 'the tonneau during the rrockingnmov enrent of said. armgand a a mounter balanein'g pendulum connected'ito saidearm.

' 5. In a pleasure; aerial: railway, theicombination with a oable forming 'track, I ofia car structure for travel over said'itraeloiineluding a frame work,- a to'nneauipivotally carried by the lower portion of said frame work, "afloalloon carried' bythe upper portion of rsaidiifr'am'e work-iand p ositionedeabore said cable, rollers carriedibysaidiframe work and engagin F said 1 cable *for' guiding the means connecting said arm and said tonneau for rocking the tonneau during the rocking movement of said arm, and a counter-balancing pendulum connected to said arm, and a propeller rotatably supported rearwardly of the rear end of said car structure for idle 10 rotation during the travel of the car structure In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

I RUDOLF BEHRENS. Witnesses:

JAMES H. Bown, THoMAs M. FARRELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

